


Ex-communication

by LogicGunn



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Abusive Ex, Domestic Violence, M/M, Pre-Slash, Protective Ronon Dex, Protective Teyla Emmagan, Unwanted Advances, domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:54:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24254698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LogicGunn/pseuds/LogicGunn
Summary: Rodney’s back is to the room and he’s writing in black marker pen on the whiteboard in front of him. “What are you blabbering on about now Major?”“It’s Colonel,” says Maksimov sharply, and Rodney turns around quick as a flash, pen raised and poised to strike.“McKay, this is my new Lieutenant, Alexei Maksimov. Lieutenant, Doctor Rodney McKay, head of the science department and gigantic pain in my ass.”
Relationships: past Rodney McKay/OMC, pre Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Comments: 31
Kudos: 196





	Ex-communication

**Author's Note:**

> Rating is for adult themes, but nothing is overly graphic or gratuitous.

Despite being an international expedition, the first wave of personnel on Atlantis didn’t actually represent all the countries involved in the Stargate program. They had an abundance of Americans, a handful of Canadians, some British, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, South African, Israeli...representatives of every country that has an IOA seat with one exception. There were no Russian members of either the military or the civilian divisions. 

The Russians pulled out at the last minute amidst growing political tensions with the US and pressure from the IOA to disclose scientific research into naquadah warheads (the Russians claiming to be unaware of any missile testing and the Americans claiming to have evidence they were). Like all US-Russia disputes, it ended with a tense but well-meaning phone call between presidents and an exchange of gifts (batch crafted vodka from the Russians, Cuban cigars from the US), but by that point it was too late; the Atlantis expedition had already left and it would be a year before Earth heard from them again. 

*** 

When the siege of Atlantis is finally over, and John returns to the city a Lieutenant Colonel, he brings back an entire platoon of hardened Russian marines to supplement the first wavers that decided against redeployment in the Milky Way. The Atlantean military personnel are overjoyed to have new brothers in arms, and (still on a high from winning the battle with the Wraith) the resulting celebration is one for the history books, full of free-flowing moonshine and battle tales from both galaxies. When the celebration dies down, the new recruits settle into the status quo of life on Atlantis. Never a dull moment but still full of the humdrum of military life; training and drills and paperwork and hurry-up-and-wait. Very quickly, things return to normal, or as normal as life in another galaxy can be. (The replenishment of Earth food supplies is met with great enthusiasm from those who came on the original expedition, especially the abundance of chocolate and coffee and genuine Salisbury steak on the menu.) 

John joins Rodney at their usual table in the corner of the mess for lunch. The scientist is spooning mashed potatoes into his mouth, globs of it dropping back down onto his plate in his haste, and he grins up at John as he sits down opposite. 

“Real mashed potatoes. I forgot what they tasted like.” 

“You should slow down a little, McKay. Don’t want you to choke.” 

“On mashed potatoes?” 

“Drown, then.” 

Rodney wipes his mouth with a napkin and takes a big gulp of his heat stabilised apple juice. “I know this juice has only ever met an apple in passing, but it’s so good.” 

John smiles and makes a start on his lunch. The food they originally brought with them lasted only a couple of months, and while they’ve found Pegasus food to be perfectly palatable, delicious even, some home comforts go a long way to stabilising life on an outpost. “Hey, have you met my new second?” 

“Major Laurie?” 

“Major Lorne. You are terrible with names, McKay.” 

“Major squinty eyes is what he is.” 

“What?” 

“He’s channelling John Wayne. You haven’t noticed? He looks like he’s staring into the sun. All. The. Time.” 

“Can't say that I have.” 

“Or maybe it’s just when he looks at me.” 

“You are a supernova, McKay.” 

Rodney snorts into his apple juice. “The thing is, I don’t want to get to know him. I miss Ford.” 

“I know, me too buddy.” 

“I just...it feels wrong for everything to be so settled when a member of our team is missing.” 

“When we find him-” 

“Major, please,” interrupts Rodney. 

“Seriously, McKay, when we find him we’ll bring him home, okay?” 

“Sure, if you say so.” John can tell Rodney doesn’t believe him, but he’ll see. They’ll get Ford back. 

*** 

When they find Ford, the man doesn’t play ball, escaping from their grasp via a Wraith culling beam. They return home without their Lieutenant, but not quite empty-handed. Ronon Dex of Sateda is a formidable fighter, and for a while it seems that Elizabeth doesn’t know what to do with him. He’s neither military nor civilian, but his loyalty to Sheppard keeps him in her good graces and she hesitantly allows him to join AR-1. Rodney huffs for a time, feeling that they are betraying Ford’s memory, but after the giant saves his ass every chance he gets, John can tell the acerbic scientist comes to think of him as team. 

The paperwork to list Ford as MIA is eventually officialised and John feels the loss more keenly, like having it on paper makes it more real. The last thing he wants to do is replace him, but he’s down a Lieutenant and the brass expects him to pick a new one so he does his duty and selects from the (heavily Russian) list they give him. When Lieutenant Alexei Maksimov arrives on the Daedalus he feels like he’s made the right choice. The man is a decorated Russian Air Force officer, has served in Russia’s Stargate program for five years, and his file is full of commendations. In the flesh he’s formidable, with a stature that would give Ronon a run for his money. His salute is textbook and his posture ram-rod straight when he beams down. 

“Welcome to Atlantis, Lieutenant Maksimov,” says John, returning the salute. 

“Thank you, sir. It is good to be here.” 

“Let's give you the grand tour.” 

Protocol dictates that John can leave the meet and greet to Lorne, but nothing says ‘the brass doesn’t give a fuck about you’ quite like being greeted for the first time on a new assignment by the second in command. John makes an appearance for the new enlisted, but for a new officer he prefers to do the tour himself, just as he did when Lorne arrived. 

First John takes his new Lieutenant to his assigned room in the living quarters on the South-East pier of the city. “The rooms aren’t all that big, but they’re comfortable,” he says opening the door. 

Maksimov stops just in the doorway, mouth open and eyes wide. “This is my room, sir?” he asks as he drops his bag. 

“Yeah, of course it is. Why?” 

“In Russia First Lieutenants share with three other men. Only civilians and officers above Major get a room to themselves.” 

John claps Maksimov on the shoulder. “There’s plenty of room here on Atlantis.” 

Maksimov grins and John feels himself smiling back. He’d be thrilled too if he expected to hot-bunk it with a bunch of other guys then found out he had his own space. 

“Come on, I’ll show you around.” 

Because they’re already out on the pier, John starts with the periphery of the city. Maksimov is enthusiastic about the gym which is now fully furnished with an abundance of equipment since the Daedalus started making regular runs. The drone platforms are met with a “Hell yeah!”, and John echoes the sentiment. It’s a shame they depleted all of their drones in the siege, but Rodney has a database search going for a location where they can find replacements. It might take a while but John’s hopeful they’ll be successful. 

Maksimov doesn’t have the gene, and the gene therapy didn’t work, so John knows he's a little disheartened when they enter the jumper bay. It feels so damn good to fly the ‘jumpers and Maksimov is Air Force, he’ll feel that loss keenly. John doesn’t stay there long, takes him quickly back to the control room where they met and introduces him to Elizabeth and Chuck, the only two people in the city that know everything that goes on. Elizabeth is her charming self, smiling genuinely at the new Lieutenant, but Chuck is a little bit testy. Usually he invites new members of the expedition to the weekly poker game in the rec room (Everyone Welcome!) but when John introduces Maksimov his face drops and he simply says “Good to meet you, sir,” barely respectful in a way that John has never seen from the congenial Sergeant. If Maksimov notices he doesn't say anything, just looks around ops taking in the various consoles and screens. 

Teyla is in the armoury with Ronon when they get there, maintaining their firearms and refilling their tac-vests. Teyla greets Maksimov warmly - “Welcome, Lieutenant” - and Ronon grunts out a "Hey”, but they’re obviously busy so John doesn’t linger. Maksimov stares at them briefly before following John back out into the corridor. 

“Are they both aliens, sir?” he asks. 

“They’re both Pegasus natives, but they’re as human as you and I. There are only ten thousand years between us.” 

“Just ten thousand?” 

“It’s not that long in the scheme of things, Lieutenant.” 

“Yessir.” 

“C’mon, I’ll show you the geek’s domain.” 

The labs are busy, as they always are, and John has to duck around Miko and stop Radek running into them as they pass through. 

“This is where all the cerebral stuff happens. Next floor down is the chemistry lab. If you’re looking for a big boom, that’s the place to go, but this where the eggheads engage in battles of the mind, and nothing is more dangerous than a scientist with a plan, Lieutenant. Isn’t that right McKay?” 

Rodney’s back is to the room and he’s writing in black marker pen on the whiteboard in front of him. “What are you blabbering on about now Major?” 

“It’s Colonel,” says Maksimov sharply, and Rodney turns around quick as a flash, pen raised and poised to strike. 

“McKay, this is my new Lieutenant, Alexei Maksimov. Lieutenant, Doctor Rodney McKay, head of the science department and gigantic pain in my ass.” 

Maksimov holds out his hand to shake and says “Rodney”, but Rodney just stands there glaring, long enough that it becomes awkward and Maksimov pulls his hand back and puts it in his pocket. 

“Rodney-” says John. 

“I’m quite busy, so if there’s nothing else?” snaps Rodney, turning back around. Rodney’s usually a little abrupt, but this is particularly rude, even for him. John waits for a beat then admits defeat. 

“Okay, Lieutenant. Next stop, the infirmary.” 

*** 

John leaves Maksimov in the mess hall with a group of amiable marines, all showing off (vying for the new officer’s attention) and invites him to senior staff in the morning. Maksimov salutes respectfully and John takes his leave and heads back to the transporter, pressing the screen to take him back to the labs. 

“McKay, a word?” he says testily when he finds Rodney hiding in his office off the main lab. 

Rodney doesn’t even look up at John, just keeps typing into one of the two laptops he has sitting in front of him. “What now, Colonel?” he asks warily. 

John shuts the door behind him and crosses his arms. “What the hell was that?” 

Rodney keeps typing. “What was what?” 

“Before, with Lieutenant Maksimov. You were kinda rude.” 

“Was I?” Rodney still doesn’t look up and it’s starting to piss John off royally. 

“You know you were, don’t be obtuse.” 

“If you say so.” 

“You totally blanked the guy.” 

“I had nothing to say.” 

John sighs and scrubs his face with his hand. “Look, I know you’re...about Ford...I mean I am too but...just give the new guy a chance, that’s all I’m asking.” 

Rodney scowls at his screen but doesn't say anything. 

“McKay!” 

“Sure, fine, whatever,” says Rodney, flapping his hand dismissively. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do.” 

“Okay.” It’s not what he was hoping for, but he’s made his point. It’s up to Rodney to sort things out from here. “See you at dinner?” 

Rodney doesn’t reply, so John takes his leave. When he doesn’t turn up to dinner John assumes he’s still sulking, and sure, they’re all missing Ford but isn’t he taking it a bit too far? 

*** 

Senior staff is unbearably hot. There’s a malfunction in the air-con, but it’s mid-summer and even with the windows open there’s a smouldering heat. 

“Yes, I know,” says Rodney when he enters the room, as damp with sweat as John feels. “Radek’s on it. He says it’ll be fixed soon. And no, there’s nothing I can do to make it happen faster, so if you don’t mind-” He stops mid-sentence, eyes fixed on Maksimov who is sitting on John’s right. And yeah, okay, that’s usually Rodney’s chair, but surely he can sit somewhere else for one meeting? Rodney grumbles as he brushes past John and grabs a chair at the far end of the table, throwing himself down next to Carson and banging his tablet down in front of him. 

Elizabeth gets started and they cover all the pertinent topics: Botany has outfitted several greenhouses for cultivation; Medical discloses a minor outbreak of a type of Pegasus ringworm amongst the teams posted at the beta site; the Quartermaster informs them they have a full supply of weapons, ammo and C4, but are still low on body armour; and the Mess Sergeant reports he is planning to have a variety of themed menus in the mess hall to improve morale, starting with a Russian menu to welcome the new officer to the base. Maksimov beams at the Sergeant as everyone hums their approval, all except Rodney who frowns into his tablet. John’s trying to make meaningful eyes at him, but his friend isn’t looking at him. Instead, he keeps his eyes fixed on his screen and ignores the joviality around him. 

“Rodney, do you have anything to add?” asks Elizabeth gently, obviously a little surprised that Rodney hasn’t interrupted even one person for the entire meeting, but before he can answer there’s a click, then a hum, and cold air starts circulating in the room through the vents. 

“Oh, thank goodness,” says Carson, tilting his head towards the vent above him. Everyone else follows suit, and soon they are all leaning back, faces in the breeze. Rodney takes the opportunity to gather his things and stand up. 

“I assume we’re done?” he says. 

“One more thing,” says Elizabeth. “I’d like us all to welcome Lieutenant Alexei Maksimov to Atlantis.” 

“Thank you, ma’am,” says Maksimov, and everyone else gets up to leave. 

Rodney’s first out the door, pushing past everyone, almost knocking Maksimov’s coffee cup out of his hands when the Lieutenant makes to speak to him. John waits until everyone else has left before saying: “Don’t mind McKay, he’s a little bit grumpy at the moment.” 

“Oh, don’t worry about Doctor McKay, sir. I’ll win him over.” 

*** 

Maksimov wasn’t kidding about winning him over. The next time John sees the two of them together it’s late at night a couple of days later. They’re in Rodney’s personal lab and Maksimov has Rodney backed up against a wall, pinning his wrists next to his head, kissing him with such passion that John doesn't know where to look. He feels his heart skip in his chest, has an overwhelming urge to punch Maksimov’s lights out but that isn’t fair. Just because Rodney prefers blonde Russians to him doesn’t mean he can start swinging his fists. Rodney must hear him because he turns his head, flushed and whimpering, and calls out. “Colonel!” 

Maksimov jumps back from where he was kissing Rodney's mouth- “Sir!” - and Rodney takes the opportunity to rush past John and out of the lab, is gone before John can say a word. 

“As you were, Lieutenant,” says John to Maksimov, even though it kind of kills him to say it. Who is he to get in the way of two consenting adults? And if he spends the rest of the night in sleepless despondency, that’s no one’s business (or problem) but his own. 

*** 

Rodney isn’t at breakfast the next day. It’s not unusual for him to skip meals when he’s working hard on something, but John suspects it's more to do with what happened last night. He’s probably trying to avoid talking to John. John wants to tell him it’s fine, no big deal, but it sort of does feel like a big deal. Maksimov is on the other side of the mess, sitting at a table with a handful of enlisted Marines telling tales of his time serving in Siberia. By the volume of the laughter it sounds like a good story, but John keeps picturing the scene last night. Maksimov’s mouth on Rodney’s, his body pressed up against him, grinding his hips into him. Rodney pressed between Maksimov and the wall, out of breath and whimpering. It makes him resent his new Lieutenant, and he knows it’s unfair. 

John’s thinking about getting another coffee to take to his office, where he can hide from his troubles in peace, when Ronon storms into the Mess, his dreads billowing out behind him, goes right up to where Maksimov is sitting and punches him in the face. John’s out of his chair like a shot as Ronon pulls Maksimov out from the table and pins him to the wall. Sergeant Bates pushes his way between them shouting - “What the hell, Ronon!” - threatening to take them to the brig if they don’t both back off right now. Ronon takes a step back but Maksimov pushes Bates out of the way, bloody nosed and grinning, and throws himself at Ronon, fists flying and grunting with the effort. Ronon dodges easily, and Maksimov makes to hit again from behind but Ronon twists round and starts pummelling his face and chest, overpowering Maksimov with his superior skill-set, and it’s all the Lieutenant can do to cover himself with his arms. 

John grabs Ronon by the bicep and hauls him back. “What the hell did you just do?” 

“What you should have done,” growls Ronon. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

Ronon yanks his arm out of John’s grip. “You were there, you saw what he did to Rodney.” 

“What happened between Rodney and Maksimov is nobody’s business,” hisses John, mindful of the audience watching them. 

“It is when McKay has bruises on his wrists. Or is that kind of thing acceptable in the Milky Way?” 

John lowers his voice to a whisper. “So they like it a little rough, still none of your business.” 

Ronon’s lip curls in anger. “McKay was crying. Doesn’t seem like he liked it.” 

“But…what?” And just like that, John’s perspective is flipped. Last night wasn’t passion, it was unease. Rodney didn’t run from John, John’s arrival gave him the chance to run from Maksimov. Rodney wasn't avoiding Maksimov because of Ford, he was avoiding him because he knew him. They have a history. John witnessed a sexual assault, but was so blinded by jealousy that he couldn't see it for what it was, mistook it for something else, something consensual. 

Suddenly the atmosphere in the room changes. The marines who were torn between rallying around one of their own and siding with the man they’ve been training with for months take sides, and it isn't with the Lieutenant. They all start yelling out loud, insults and warnings to the cowering man, promises of what they’ll do to him when they get him alone. It’s Bates that calms everyone down by taking Maksimov into custody and dragging him, nose still gushing blood, out of the mess. John watches as Ronon stalks out behind them and turns back to his men who are all visibly angry. 

“That’s out of order, sir.” 

“What are you going to do with him, Colonel?” 

“Send him back on the Daedalus, sir. He’s not welcome here.” 

John just waves them off. He has to go find Rodney, find out what really happened, but something jumps into the forefront of his mind. A discussion they had way back before they reconnected with Earth. They were drunk on Athosian ruus wine and sitting out on the pier, enjoying some much-needed R’n’R after the Genii invasion. Rodney had lain back on his elbows, right arm neatly rebandaged by Marie. His t-shirt had ridden up to expose his belly, and his trousers were baggy enough through fieldwork to drop below his hip bones. John was leaning across him for more wine when he noticed a pale, jagged line on the inside of Rodney's left hip. 

_“Hey, what’s that scar?” he asked._

_“Uh...accident...in Russia,” replied Rodney taking a big gulp of wine._

_“What kind of accident?”_

_“Uh...you know...just an accident.”_

_“Oh no, I told you about Antarctica. Your turn.”_

_“Well, not so much an accident as an incident.”_

_“I figured.”_

_“I kind of maybe walked into some broken glass?”_

_“When you say ‘walked into’...”_

_“This guy I was seeing...wasn’t happy when I ended it. He got drunk, smashed a bottle and stabbed me in the hip with it. I think he was aiming a little lower.”_

_“Jesus fucking Christ. Tell me you reported it.”_

_“Didn’t have to. He did it in the lab in front of my entire science team and our military escort.”_

_“What’s his name.”_

_“Major-”_

_“Tell me his name.”_

_“It was years ago.”_

_“McKay-”_

_“No. Don’t be stupid. He was incarcerated. He’s either still in prison or he’s back deployed in Siberia. Either way, it’s enough of a punishment for me.”_

It was the one and only time Rodney had indicated that he was into guys. What if Maksimov is the same man that stabbed Rodney in Siberia? They could easily have both been working for the Russian Stargate Program around the same time. He could check the dates in their personnel files, but it’s probably quicker to just ask Rodney. 

He steps out of the mess and heads to the nearest transporter, bumping right into Teyla when the doors open. She steadies him with her hands on his shoulders. 

“John. Have you seen Ronon?” she asks. 

“Yeah. He’s on his way down to the brig with Bates and Maksimov.” 

“I see.” Teyla’s mouth presses into a firm line. “Has Ronon told you-” 

“He brought me up to speed. Maksimov is in custody. I’m on my way to see Rodney, get his version of events.” 

“I took Rodney back to his room. He should still be there.” 

“Thanks, Teyla.” 

Teyla brushes past him and John enters the transporter. Before he can press the map Teyla turns back around. 

“Lieutenant Maksimov is fortunate that Ronon found him before I could,” she says. “He would have been unable to walk to the brig had I found him first.” 

Teyla’s rage is palpable, and John can only nod his agreement. 

He finds Rodney in his room, sitting on his bed and typing on a laptop, eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot. He looks up as John walks in. 

“Is Maksimov him?” asks John without preamble. “The guy with the broken bottle?” 

“Oh,” says Rodney, surprised. “I told you about that?” 

“Yes. You did.” 

“Uh...yeah, that’s him.” 

“I can’t believe they sent him here. I had no idea...the incident wasn’t in his file.” John sits down next to Rodney's feet. “I didn’t realise last night, what I walked in on...out of context it looked...you know...” 

“It’s fine.” 

“It’s not fine. But you should know that Bates arrested him and Ronon and Teyla are out for blood.” 

“I bumped into them on my way to breakfast. He’s been pestering me since he got here and I didn’t know what to do about it.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“What was I supposed to say?” 

“How about ‘your new Lieutenant is my abusive ex and he’s a dick’.” 

“I didn’t think you’d believe me over him. You looked kind of cosy in senior staff.” 

“McKay, you’re my friend. I would have believed you.” John pauses, but he really wants to know something. “Is he the reason you turned me down?” 

Rodney looks down at his laptop and taps a few keys. He’s stalling, and John clears his throat to let him know it’s not going to fly this time. “Well...I mean...there were any number of reasons. Your inability to sit up straight, your aversion to staying alive, your god-awful snoring, the fact that you can’t articulate your emotions-” 

“Rodney.” 

“Well, yes, I suppose he is.” 

“Rodney, I’m not...I wouldn't...I’d never hurt you like he did. Surely you know that?” 

“Well, I do now. I didn’t back then, I barely knew you. I just don’t do military guys. Not since Alexei. Seems safer.” 

“This really isn’t the time, but I hope you reconsider that position." 

Rodney smiles. “You’ll be the first to know.” 

John pats Rodney’s knee and stands up. “I’m gonna go radio Caldwell, ask him to take our prisoner back to Earth. I don’t want him in my city any longer than he has to be. If I need to, I’ll authorise a dial out to the SGC.” 

“You don’t have to do that.” 

“Yes, I do. I should have done something last night.” 

John palms open Rodney’s door and steps out. Before he turns down the corridor Rodney’s head pokes around the frame. 

“Sheppard.” 

“Yeah, buddy?” 

“Thanks.” 

“Any time.” 

It’s the least he can do, all things considered. Someone screwed up allowing Maksimov to be sent here after what he did, but John wonders if it’s actually public knowledge. The SGC obviously wasn’t given his complete file, and it seems like something Rodney might have kept to himself when he returned from Russia. But John knows someone who knows everything. Maybe Chuck can fill in the blanks. 

*** 

“Maksimov is an asshole, sir,” Chuck says vehemently when John asks him for the scuttlebutt on his new Lieutenant. He’d radioed Chuck to meet him in his office, away from prying eyes. 

“What do you know about him?” 

“I was on an exchange program to the Russian Stargate program when it happened, sir. I wasn’t on duty in the labs at the time, but I was on guard in the infirmary when they brought Doctor McKay in. He was covered in blood, Maksimov sliced open a major artery.” 

“Fuck.” 

“Yes sir. By all accounts he stormed the labs, grabbed a vodka bottle and smashed it on a counter. He scuffled with Doctor McKay and stabbed him in the lower abdomen. The doc was rushed into surgery, sir, and Maksimov was arrested and incarcerated.” 

“I need to ask a delicate question.” 

“Their relationship wasn’t public knowledge, sir,” says Chuck quickly. “I think it was officially written up as a personal disagreement.” 

“That might be why the incident wasn’t in his file,” John muses aloud. 

“You think it was hushed up, sir?” 

“I think it wasn’t disclosed for a reason.” John locks down his laptop and stands. “Sergeant?” he says, looking Chuck in the eye. 

“Yes, sir?” 

“Next time you think I need to know something, don’t hesitate to tell me.” 

“I won’t, sir.” 

“Even if you think I won’t want to hear it.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Dismissed.” 

Chuck gives him a respectful salute, which John returns, then leaves, palming the door shut behind him. John takes the opportunity to radio Colonel Caldwell and Elizabeth to request a meeting ASAP. The sooner he dots the i's and crosses the t’s, the sooner he can get Maksimov off of his base. This takes the record for the quickest return of a military officer since contact with Earth was re-established, though a civilian takes the overall prize (she messed something up so fast that Rodney had her beamed back up to the Daedalus before she’d even unpacked). 

*** 

Maksimov is sitting on the bed in the holding cell when John unlocks the door. He jumps up to attention when John walks in, but it’s far too late to play the good little airman. 

“Did you request this posting?” asks John. 

“Yes sir.” 

“Did you know Doctor McKay was posted here when you requested this posting?” 

“Yes sir.” 

“Doctor McKay has a restraining order against you, did you know that?” 

Maksimov shuffles under John’s piercing gaze. “I did, sir.” 

“Help me out here, Lieutenant, because I’m a little confused. You knowingly asked for a posting on a base with a man who has a restraining order against you. I assume you managed to get the incident in Russia redacted from your file. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” 

“No sir.” 

“Explain yourself.” 

“He’s just playing hard to get, Colonel. He got the restraining order to piss me off. You know how civilians can be.” 

“How can they be, Lieutenant?” 

“Contrary and fickle. Look, I don’t know what he said sir, but Rodney likes it rough. I haven’t done anything wrong here. It was consensual.” 

“Attacking someone with a broken bottle isn’t a consensual anything.” 

“That was a mistake. I let him wind me up. I tried to apologise. He’s just being stubborn about it.” 

“He’s not the only one. I’m sending you back to Earth on the Daedalus. You can explain to General O’Neill how your previous CO tried to trick the SGC into posting you on Atlantis, and how you took the opportunity to sexually assault the Chief Science Officer of the expedition.” 

“You can’t do that, sir! This is all a big misunderstanding. Talk to Rodney, he’ll vouch for me.” 

“I’ll do no such thing!” says Rodney as he enters the cell. “You and I were over a long time ago, Alexei. I wasn’t interested then, I’m not interested now. As far as I’m concerned, you can go choke on your mashed potatoes.” 

John bites the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling at Rodney’s polite, Canadian insult. John would have told him to choke on something else. 

“Rodney, don’t be like that-” begins Maksimov. 

“Enough!” snaps John. He turns to Rodney. “Wait outside.” 

“But-” says Rodney. 

“Now,” says John, firmly but kindly. 

Rodney about faces then storms out of the brig, arms swinging irritably. 

“Sir,” says Maksimov, but John’s had enough of him. 

“Colonel Caldwell has agreed to take you into custody on board the Daedalus,” he says. “I don’t want to see or hear from you ever again. Doctor McKay is off-limits, and if you come near him again a prison cell will be the least of your worries.” 

“Oh, I see how it is,” says Maksimov, sneering. 

“I don’t think that you do,” snaps John as he locks the cell and reactivates the forcefield. “Next time I don’t pull Ronon off you.” 

*** 

When Maksimov has been beamed into the cell onboard the Daedalus, John drags Rodney away from the labs and out to their pier with a six-pack of beer. Rodney’s quiet through the entire first bottle, head bent low and shoulders slumped. His silence, as much as his posture, tells John just how freaked out he really is. He’s been putting on a stoic face all day, snapping at his scientists and running diagnostics on the city, but here, when it’s just him and John, his walls start to crumble. John lets him take his time to work through his thoughts without pestering him, just presses his knee into Rodney’s so he knows he’s not alone. When Rodney finally speaks, his voice is hesitant and broken. 

“When I first met Alexei he seemed really nice. Smart. Funny. He made Siberia vaguely tolerable. I really liked him.” 

Rodney pauses and picks at the label on his bottle, tearing it off in strips and dropping them off the side of the pier. When there’s nothing but glue left, John uncaps another bottle and hands it over. 

“Thanks.” Rodney takes a swig. “He...uh...started to get really clingy. Wanted to know where I was and who I was with all the time. Sometimes he would get kind of rough...you know...in bed. It all kind of built up and I snapped. Ended it. He left me alone for a couple of weeks, I thought things were fine, but then he came to the lab and...if I’d been in my room I probably wouldn’t have survived. One of the soldiers had to stick his fingers into the wound to stop the bleeding. I don’t remember anything else until I woke up after the surgery.” 

“I’m sorry,” says John, and he means it. What an awful thing for Rodney to have to go through, especially knowing that Siberia was already a difficult environment for him to begin with. 

“On the plus side, I was relocated back to the States as soon as I was fit enough to travel,” says Rodney, bitterness dripping from his words. “At least it got me home.” 

“That’s a very slim silver lining, buddy,” replies John, feeling such resentment for the SGC. By all accounts, Rodney had been an ass his first time in Cheyenne mountain, but other people have had less of a punishment for doing worse. 

Rodney huffs and takes another big swig, “I suppose you’re right,” he says. 

John puts down his bottle. “I need you to do something for me.” He waits for Rodney to look at him before he continues. “I need you to promise to tell me the next time you’re in danger and I don’t know it.” 

“I could have handled it,” says Rodney, looking away again, his shoulders slumping in what John knows is shame. 

“Maybe,” replies John, though if he’s honest with himself he doubts it. “That’s not really the point. It’s my job to keep you safe. I can’t do that if I don’t know where the dangers are. So promise me.” 

“John-” 

“Rodney,” interrupts John. “Promise me.” 

There’s a silence between them, and it feels monumental, but John turns Rodney’s head with his hand and holds his gaze with his own. 

“I-I don’t-” begins Rodney. 

“Please.” That’s it, that’s all he has to show Rodney how important this is to him. But Rodney must get it because he agrees. 

“Alright.” 

Rodney’s acquiescence is unusually quiet and timid, but John knows that he means it and they won’t have to suffer a repeat of what happened with Maksimov. He takes a long draw of his beer and shuffles closer to Rodney, pressing their thighs together. 

“Are there any other violent exes that I need to sic Ronon and Teyla on?” he asks. 

Rodney snorts. “Colonel!” 

“No, seriously,” laughs John. “Because it looks an awful lot like ‘asshole’ is your type.” 

“I don’t have a type,” says Rodney. “Not really.” But John knows that’s a lie from the way he starts to blush. 

“I always thought it was blondes with great breasts,” jokes John. 

“That’s just what I know I can get away with working for the military.” Rodney pauses and looks back at John. _”If_ I had a type it would be you.” 

John’s surprised in that he’s not. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” 

“So maybe...” 

“When things settle down, I’ll think about it.” 

John nudges Rodney with his shoulder. “Take all the time you need, I’ll be here.” 


End file.
